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Ventricular Septal Defect in Delayed Presentation of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Secondary to COVID-19
Pujon Purkayastha1, Muhammad J Iftikhar1, Maciej Kostrubiec1
1Cardiology, Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, GBR.
Insights
During COVID-19 lockdowns, fear of rules delayed emergency care, leading to a ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) complicated by ventricular septal defect (VSD). This highlights impacts on acute cardiac event management.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated national lockdowns, impacting healthcare access.
- Social isolation measures may deter patients with acute medical emergencies from seeking timely hospital care.
Observation:
- A case of delayed presentation of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) occurred due to patient's fear of breaching COVID-19 lockdown regulations.
- The patient presented outside the optimal treatment window for STEMI.
Findings:
- Delayed presentation led to a STEMI complicated by a severe ventricular septal defect (VSD).
- The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the presentation and management of acute myocardial infarctions.
Implications:
- Healthcare systems must address barriers to emergency care access during pandemics.
- Timely intervention for STEMI is crucial to prevent severe complications like VSD.
- Pandemic-related factors require consideration in the management protocols for cardiovascular emergencies.
Abstract:
Like many other countries at the moment, the United Kingdom (UK) is currently under national lockdown due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. An unfortunate consequence of such social isolation measures is that patients with genuine acute medical emergencies may not present to a hospital in a timely manner. We present such a scenario, whereby a patient had a delayed presentation of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) due to fear of breaching COVID-19 lockdown rules. As a result of the patient presenting well outside the optimal treatment window, her STEMI was complicated by a severe ventricular septal defect (VSD). We discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the nature and management of STEMIs and associated issues.
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